The American Medical Community Now Wants To Tax Soda In Every State

If Charles Dickens were a soda connoisseur, he would say that
today is the worst of times for the once beloved, currently
embattled soft drink industry. Across the board, researchers
and experts are suggesting that both sugary and non-sweetened
soft drinks can riddle you with a murderer's row of maladies,
including, but not limited to,
heart attacks,
cancer,
poor dental health, and to REALLY make you feel
self-conscious, a
bulging waistline.

All of this, of course, plays a supporting role in New York City
Mayor (some say babysitter) Michael Bloomberg's fizzled fatwa,
his holy war against soda. He just
announced his intentions to ban XL-sized soft drinks and
it turns out he's not alone in his crusade to rid the continental
50 of its sugary scourge.

This week the American Medical Association is set to consider
a proposal that supports soda taxes as one way to fight
obesity and says that if taxes are levied, they should be
used to fund anit-obesity programs. The Los Angeles
Times reports. AMA council reports note that sugary drinks
make up 46 percent of the added sugar American's consume instead
of nutrient-rich foods.

They also estimate that a penny-per-ounce tax on sweetened drinks
would lead to a 5 percent decrease in the amount of critically
overweight Americans and save the country $17 billion in health
care costs over the next ten years.

They do warn, however, that the levies must be earmarked for the
right efforts in order to be effective. If the excise taxes go
towards anti-obesity campaigns, AMA studies indicate that their
positive effects could be greatly enhanced.

Today, a soda excise is assigned in 35 U.S. states, at an average
rate of 5.2 percent, though these duties, the AMA says, are not
meant to affect consumption or promote good health. AMA
researchers also say that wholesalers soften the blow by
buying in bulk and purchasing cheaper brands.

Weigh in below in the comments section so we can hear what you
think about the government taxing sodas. And please, pour out a
Mountain Dew for the brave cans we lost in Seattle.